Hollow Life
by tigerlady93
Summary: Crossover with Highlander. Methos is on the trail of an Alliance fugitive who could hold Immortal existence in her hands. But River Tam has a lot more secrets than anybody has ever guessed. Written before Serenity was released. Some DuncanMethos slash.
1. Chapter 1

Shepherd Book bowed his head over his clasped hands, closing his eyes against the bustle around him. He turned his thoughts to thanking God for his many blessings: the company of Serenity's crew, their continued safety and well-being, and time to repay his sins. He thanked Him for the food they had to fill their bellies. He asked for His blessing as he watched over the flock he shepherded.

He opened his eyes to see a carved wooden bowl wavering in front of him, suspended in Jayne's strong grip as the man traded insults with the crew. After taking the bowl, he slid a portion of the bland protein mash onto the battered tin plate in front of him. Everyone else had been served, so he set the container back down on the heavy trestle table. Mouths were being filled all around, except for Simon's. The young doctor was poking at the meal with his elegantly lacquered chopsticks, as if he expected it to rise up and strike at him.

"Not to your liking, son?" he asked Simon.

"No, it's fine," the boy returned with a tentative smile. "It just takes me a while to work up the nerve to actually taste it."

Book laughed. "I do find myself wishing for that endless supply of rosemary."

Simon smiled, fully this time. Twin dimples made him look just a little mischievous, like there was a playful schoolboy buried under all of those fine clothes. The man really needed to relax more often.

"Just be glad you have food at all, Preacher," the captain snapped from the head of the table. Book pushed down the reflexive urge to snap back. Malcolm Reynolds was often like a wounded bear, striking out at any provocation. Unfortunately, he had good ears for a wounded bear.

"Maybe if we got something that paid better than these milk runs we wouldn't have to eat this niou-se," Jayne said. The taste didn't seem to slow Jayne down. He held his fork shovel-like, scooping up great mouthfuls of the stuff.

"I know it's been a mite slow lately, but at least it's work. This ain't the time for taking risks, what with both Niska and the Alliance gunning for us. It'll pick up, don't worry," Malcolm asserted.

Simon glanced down at his plate. That one still held a world of guilt about the situation he had dropped on the others, though it certainly wasn't all his doing. It didn't help that the captain never tried to ease his burden.

"Being a bunch of pansy-asses, if you ask me," Jayne muttered.

"Well I didn't," Malcolm shot back. "And I don't rightly recall seeing your ear in a napkin, neither."

The whole room faltered, utensils against plates falling silent as the crew stilled. They rarely spoke openly about Niska's torture of the captain and Wash. That didn't mean that Malcolm himself was afraid to bring up the topic on occasion if it suited his purpose. Book caught a hint of motion; Zoe was reaching out to her husband. Wash patted her hand but otherwise remained passive.

Jayne set down his mug with a thump. "Ah hell, Mal. You know I didn't mean it like that."

Book didn't quite understand the dynamic between Jayne and Malcolm. The mercenary was taller, stronger, and had the loosest sense of loyalty of many a man he had known. Yet if the captain said jump, Jayne jumped. In the past few months, he hadn't even stopped to ask how high. Malcolm finished chewing his food while Jayne stared at him, and then took a long sip of tea.

"Don't rightly matter what you mean, Jayne. I know folks have been getting squirrelly lately. Don't much care for plain protein powder myself." He looked at Book then, and his lips quirked in that deprecating way he had when he knew he had made a mistake. Book nodded, willing to concede the small point to the man's tangled sense of honor.

"For the time being let's just concentrate on the work we got. We'll pick up that load of homespun on Rawley tomorrow. Should be easy as you please," he continued.

"You sure you want those words coming out of your mouth, sir?" Zoe prodded in her deadpan tone. The captain just stared back at her. Zoe raised one elegantly curved eyebrow and waited. The captain broke first, turning to Wash.

"How long to get us to Fusang after Rawley?" he asked his pilot.

Wash wiped his mouth on a napkin. The man's competence shone through in moments like these, when his jocular demeanor fell away and only the pilot remained. His eyes were unfocussed, as if doing complex figuring in his head.

"Little over five days, Mal. Less if you want to stress the fuel cells."

Malcolm tossed his own napkin on the table. ""No need. That will bring us in fine. Give us a little time to take a stroll planet side. Don't take that as permission to get ourselves in hot water, though." Apparently, that was meant for Jayne, because they stared at each other until Jayne nodded.

"We all square now?" Heads nodded around the table. The captain stood, smiled at Inara, and headed toward the front of the ship.

Book pushed his mash around on his plate before pushing some more down his throat. The crew was excited about the announcement. It would indeed be good to set foot on terra firma once again. The ship could feel mightily cramped if its bare metal walls were the only scenery, week after week. Strangely enough, he couldn't bring much enthusiasm to bear on the news. Almost as if the promise of an easy job was just words bantered about like falling snow, melting away as you reached for them. He shook his head at his own melodrama. Snowflakes were spinning in his own head, silly old man that he was.

"Don't worry, preacher man. First man is coming with the storm," River piped up from beside him. "Of course, it is genetically impossible that one man could populate the human race." She wore an angelic smile, convinced that she was making sense.

"Thank you, River. I didn't mean to worry you."

She nodded solemnly. "It's okay. I like snow. It falls like feathers and makes you pink and shiny."

Book pondered on the teen as she returned to her meal. Though still troubled, her fits had decreased in the past months. Her words were still as incoherent as not, but along with the rest of the crew he had come to accept that they often carried a deeper meaning. That acceptance had relaxed something inside her, let her exhibit a joy and spirit that had been all but crushed when she first came on ship. More than any other thing, seeing her relate to the crew of Serenity had convinced him that this was the place God wanted him to be. So here he would remain, for the time being anyway.

He came out of his meanderings to find the others leaving, carrying their tableware to the washing counter. He was on dish duty tonight. It was really no hardship. Protein mash staged little resistance to cleanup. He sat back and watched Kaylee interact with the Tam siblings. The young woman was teasing them both, though she was more gentle with River than she was with Simon.

"So, has that big brain of yours figured out my puzzle yet?" she asked River, lightly touching the girl on the tip of her nose.

River tossed her long black hair over one shoulder as she cocked her head towards Simon. "I unlocked the box but there weren't any hearts inside. Sorry."

Kaylee's wide smile faltered before she forced it back on her face. "That's okay, sweetie. I wasn't expecting there to be."

Book chuckled. River's obscure comments were often easier to understand when they weren't directed at one's self. He pushed back from the table as the trio left the room. It was time to wash some dishes.

* * *

"Well, we got you here," Jones grunted, mouth puckering up as he held out grease-covered hand.

Methos counted out a handful of plat and handed it over to the sullen captain of the Darter. Adequate for a transport job, the crew hadn't been very personable. Personable didn't matter much in the greater scheme, however. He was finally acting on the things he had learned while working for Blue Sun corporation. Ten years of learning things that had sent chills up his immortal spine, ten years of keeping quiet as he searched for facts to back up his intuition. He had finally gathered enough information to act, to hopefully deter a danger to the whole immortal race. He could put up with a little bit of rudeness for that, especially if it helped establish his identity as Ben Pierson, antique weapons dealer and mild-mannered rogue.

"If you got more work for us, send Badger a wave," Jones said, still sour-faced as he slipped the coins into his own pouch.

Methos watched the man head back into his ship, thinking how unlikely a prospect that would be. After the bay closed he grabbed hold of the sled carrying his merchandise, hitched his duffle over his shoulder, and started the walk into town. Yao Chi, the chief port of Fusang, was wild, dusty, and heterogenous–like all border docktowns. Sellers hawked trinkets and foodstuffs in a variety of languages from the booths scattered among the ships. The air was thick with dust and the smell of cooking oil and engine grease. Dazed travelers staggered along. Local children ranged among them, chattering and begging for coins, playing games or offering themselves as guides. A veritable hive of scum and villainy; Yao Chi was a known favorite of middle-men, the perfect place for brokering a deal.

Methos wandered the darkening streets, looking for an inn to use as a base of operations. Afterwards he would visit the local hole-in-the-wall bars in order to make acquaintances and gather rumors that might assist him in his search. With good luck that infantile network would prove unnecessary. A painstakingly gathered tip had led him to seek an appointment nearby with one Inara Serra, Companion of the Guild.

Of the changes he had seen since man's journey to the stars began, the return of the courtesan to respectable status was his favorite by far. They had regained the prestige that was the right of the holy prostitute in his younger days. That prestige came with a price tag, however. Bidding for a Companion's service required a deep pocketbook. Winning a bid required some ethereal quality known only to each particular jewel of the night. Methos had pulled out all of the stops in his interview wave, laying in a bit of deviousness under his most winning smile. He hoped it was enough to gain Miss Serra's attention.

Her reply was due in the morning. In the meantime he would talk, and listen, and see if anyone was interested in his wares. He stopped in front of a likely building. As he climbed the access ramp adrenalin started to spice his veins, the anticipation of a new challenge replacing the boredom of his recent voyage.

In the morning, he might be one step closer to determining if Miss Serra traveled with his quarry: Alliance fugitives River and Simon Tam.


	2. Chapter 2

Book picked up the small bag containing his Bible and purse and headed down to the cargo bay, where most of the crew was already waiting to disembark on Fusang. The captain clattered down the staircase just after Book himself. Dull vibrations rang across the deck as the ship settled into its berth.

"I'm off to let our client know we're here early. The arrangement's to have the cargo delivered tomorrow," the captain informed them as he waited be the bay doors. "That means you have until the morning to be back on ship. Kaylee will be here until I get back. Keep your noses clean, people."

Wash appeared briefly at the top landing before bounding down the steps to Zoe. They shared a quick kiss before Wash turned to the captain.

"We're good to go, Mal. All set for some quality time with the wifey." The two smiled at each other as they brushed noses.

Malcolm cleared his throat. "Good to know. I'll see you all later, then."

He hit the door controls, heading down the ramp as it lowered. Wash and Zoe weren't far behind. Kaylee wandered over to where the doctor was staring pensively out at the planet.

"Hey there, Simon. What're you planning on doing here, while we got down time?"

The sharply-dressed man turned to her with a smile, but it soon faded to a troubled look. "I'm not entirely sure. The captain said it should be safe here, but I don't know if I feel comfortable wandering around on our own. After all, the Alliance will be looking for a brother and sister alone."

Kaylee's bright smile faded, and she started plucking at the cuff of her pink-flowered shirt. Book cleared his throat.

"If you're that concerned Doctor, I could take River with me. We get along well enough, and the authorities surely won't take us for siblings. You can stay here and keep our engineer company in her vigil until the captain gets back."

Kaylee brightened immediately. Simon didn't reply for a moment, obviously thinking the offer through.

"That sounds sensible. If you're sure it won't be a burden?"

"Nonsense, it won't be any trouble at all. After all, we've kept each other company before." Book decided to ignore how disastrous that last time had been. He thought that they had both grown since then. He hoped so anyway; his Bible might not survive another of River's edits.

"All right, then. River, mei-mei, do you want to go see the planet with the shepherd?"

The girl in question looked up from where she was kneeling near some cargo crates, apparently inspecting the spaces between them. She rose with a dancer's grace, smoothing her long broomstick skirt and tossing her long black hair over one shoulder. Then she extended a pale hand.

"It would be an honor," she said, voice low and slightly imperialistic.

Book smiled as he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and turned them toward the front of the ship. The child had her moments.

They had landed in one of the minor ports of Fusang. Clairestown Docks was little different than most of the other such settlements he had visited with Serenity's crew. The central landing zone was overrun with the bustle of commerce, and the smell of engine grease and ethnic foods sizzling from the vendors' carts filled the air. A sign proclaiming home-baked sweets caught his eye, and he steered River over to the merchant. He bought a couple of sticky buns. He supposed he was being indulgent, but the girl needed all of the indulging she could get. Besides, it had been a long time since he had such a treat.

River ate by pulling apart the layers of the roll and then dangling them above her head to take small nibbles. Book cradled his own in the brown waxed paper, trying to keep the sticky sugar in his mouth instead of on his hands and mustache. A fruitless endeavor, perhaps, but he made the attempt anyway. They ate as they wandered toward the settlement proper, pausing on occasion to let others pass by. By the time they set foot on a dusty street, they were both finished, River busily licking her fingers. When she caught him looking, she waved a hand.

"The lady wishes for a serving maid," she demanded.

Book smiled and pointed toward a vacant horse trough nearby.

"Will that do, my lady?"

She paused, and then nodded. "She will deign to sweeten the beasts' drink with the touch of her flesh." River quickly dipped her fingers into the murky water and wiped them dry on her skirt.

"What does my lady wish to do now?" Book asked.

She smiled up at him. "I'm a River, not a lady. Are there good shops?"

"I guess we'll just have to find out."

They moved on past the raucous bars and brothel that dotted the edge of town. Jayne was surely divesting himself of his pay in one of them. One more street over found them on merchant's row. They entered a general store, its shelves lined with all manner of things: foodstuffs, farm equipment, work shirts, and many odd knickknacks. There were even a few old-fashioned books locked in a case. River picked up a doll and began talking to it. Book left her to it as he peered at the bindings beneath the glass. He spotted the collected works of Shakespeare, the Tao Te Ching, a stained cookbook, the poems of the Brownings. He spied several volumes that were probably novels, but he didn't recognize the authors. Perhaps he could find them on the Cortex. The captain guarded their transmissions carefully, though. It wouldn't do to get picked up by the law because he had downloaded pleasure reading.

Book was distracted from his browsing by the sound of River's voice raised in agitation. He turned to see her holding the doll in one hand, poking its face with a roofing nail. He rushed over and reached around her back to grasp her hands.

"River, River honey. Don't do that, child."

River struggled a little in his arms before she went lax, her arms drooping and her head falling against his chest. She burst into tears. Book gathered her close, murmuring soft nonsense. After a few minutes, she calmed down. Her tears slowed, though she still snuffled against him.

"Are you going to be all right, now?"

River nodded and wiped her face on her sleeve. Book looked up to see the shopkeeper staring at them.

"You going to pay for that, or do I gotta call the sheriff?"

Book snorted in disgust. Some people really needed to get in touch with the merciful hand of God. He held up his own, less-powerful hand, hoping to pacify the angry clerk.

"Calm down, son. I have coin here."

He fished some small change out of his purse and tossed it onto the counter. The man was staring at River in a way Book couldn't feel kindly about.

"Come on dear, let's get going," he said as he ushered the girl out into the wafting dust. "Do you want to go back to the ship now?"

River shook her head. Dust was mired in the traces of her tears. She looked all of twelve years old.

"All right then. I have an idea. I see a house of the Lord at the end of the street. It will be quiet, a good place to rest our feet for a while."

River pulled out a sad little smile.

"It is possible to conceive a child without intercourse if the ejaculate is proximal to the vagina. Virgin birth."

He closed his eyes, telling himself they were only words from a troubled child. "Thank you, River. Please don't say anything like that in the church."

"Right. Don't speak the truth in front of God."

The girl definitely had her other moments, as well. She smiled brightly at him and started skipping along the street.

Sighing, he hurried after her. He kept reminding himself that in some ways she had less than a child's grasp of the universe. Besides, he heard worse from Malcolm Reynolds on a weekly basis. The Lord often saw fit to test his children in manifold and strange ways.

* * *

Mal shifted the last box just a little more, grunting as it settled into place against the back wall. His back wished that he had told Jayne to stay with him, but he had to admit that he was pleased the buyer had taken control of the shipment a day early. It had given him time to get the shopping done without the rest of the crew wheedling at him for this and that. Now they could leave as soon as Inara got back from her business. His stomach turned a little sour at the thought so he pushed all thoughts of her to the back of his brain. No sense ruining the fine meal to come.

He heard voices before he heard the shuffle of footsteps up the landing ramp. Kaylee and the doctor were talking animatedly as they returned to the ship. Her face was aglow, which meant Simon hadn't managed to screw up too badly on this outing. Mal shook his head. He didn't know whether to warn the doctor off or give him advice. The one thing he did know was that if Simon broke his mechanic's heart, Mal would have something stronger than words with him, doctor or no. That would be a crying shame because he rather liked the man.

Mal cleared his throat as they got closer. They both jumped a little. Kaylee turned to him with that big smile he just never could resist, no matter how he hardened his heart.

"How's it going, little Kaylee?"

She leaned up on her tiptoes and brushed his cheek with a kiss. He smiled at her. Kaylee was the only person brave enough to brush past his ornery exterior on a regular basis. Well, excepting Zoe, but Zoe was an exception to everything.

"Just shiny, Captain. You have a good day?"

"As they go," he said, and then nodded at the doctor. "Can you close up in here while I lug this stuff up to the mess?"

"What about River?" Simon asked.

"She and the shepherd are already on," Mal answered as he hefted two stacked boxes with a crate of fresh stuffs balanced on top. "I thought we already established that I don't leave crew behind."

"Yes," Simon drawled. "But you must admit there was a time delay before you picked us back up the last time."

Mal just chuckled as he made his way up the back steps. He never claimed to be a nice man.

He could hear people moving around in the galley as he approached. River was humming _Onward Christian Soldiers_. Not his most favorite tune ever, but as long as she didn't start preachifying he'd let it pass.

"I guess it's to be protein mash once again, River," he heard Book say.

Mal stepped inside just as she stuck out her tongue in protest.

"Don't look so glum, girl," he said as he dropped the boxes on the counter with a heavy thunk. A tomato tried to escape, but he snatched it out of the air before it could hit the ground.

Book stepped around the counter to assist him. "Dare I hope that these all contain consumables?"

Even the shepherd's fancy talk couldn't throw off his good mood. "Don't know what you dare, preacher, but I got a whole passel of foodstuffs here."

He set the crate aside so that Book could open the boxes of packaged goods. Mal himself began stowing the perishables; no sense taking a chance of letting good coin spoil. Book picked up the first few items–cereal bars–and put them in the proper storage unit. Mal noticed River pawing through the second box, but she didn't look to be harming anything so he let her be.

"What are you looking for, dear?" Book asked.

"Girls for the shepherd," she said.

Mal laughed at the expression on Book's face, then laughed again as he saw that she had pulled out the package of rosemary.

"Bless you, Malcolm. You do listen to this old man from time to time."

Mal pursed his lips. Book had a decided preference for that particular herb. While Mal wasn't that finicky an eater, a man did enjoy variety now and then. "There are some more flavors in there; you don't have to go using just that one."

Book chuckled. "All right Captain, I shall endeavor to vary our cuisine a little."

"You wouldn't mind wrestling up some grub while I finish with this, would you? Kaylee and the doctor will be joining us soon."

Book smiled. "It would be my pleasure."

Mal moved on to put away the silver foil packages. River watched him as if monitoring a child's progress. As long as she just watched, he had no problems with her.

Footsteps ringing on the metal of the stairs made him look up. Kaylee and Simon ducked into the galley; to his surprise, Jayne followed behind. Simon went straight to his sister.

"How are you doing, mei-mei?"

She looked up with an innocent smile. "I killed a doll."

Mal's own eyebrow rose at that. Simon looked consternated. The doctor looked at Book as if hoping for a better translation of her words.

"I'm afraid she did, Doctor," Book said. "She had a bit of an upset in the general store and a ragdoll bore the brunt of it. I got her settled down and it turned out all right in the end."

"Didn't," River said, a little sullenly.

Mal shook his head and went on putting foil packages in the cabinets.

"Are you feeling okay, now?" he heard Simon say. He didn't hear River's response, but no screaming was always a positive thing.

"So I see we got food now. What's everyone want for dinner?" That was Kaylee, always trying to turn a sunny side to things.

"I don't care, but make sure it has some of these mushrooms in it," Mal turned and handed her a small crate. "Looks like we got a nice little dinner party. I didn't rightly expect to see you back tonight," he said to Jayne.

Jayne shrugged a shoulder as he shifted around in his seat at the table. "Got bored."

"You mean you ran out of money," Kaylee tossed over her shoulder.

Jayne just nodded. "That too. We have fresh fixin's?"

"You're just in time for my worlds' famous pan-fry, son," Book answered. "It's good to have you all here to share in the bounty."

Mal squeezed between Kaylee chopping greens and the shepherd slicing the mushrooms to fill his mug from one of the drink packs. He then settled in at the table beside River and Simon, who had taken up the go board.

"You sure you'll have enough for all of us?" Simon asked. "Wash and Zoe might show up."

Mal leaned forward to look over Simon's shoulder at their board. He could see that indeed River was the brighter Tam sibling; Simon's pieces were already a shambles.

"You might just want to admit defeat now," he said quietly. Simon rolled his eyes and moved another piece.

"The more the merrier, I always say," Book said. The smell of hot oil was starting to fill the room along with the sound of it spattering and popping.

"Oh, they won't be back tonight," Kaylee said. "They're off having sex."

Mal closed his eyes. As much as he didn't like to admit it, Kaylee was by no means an innocent. Hell, he'd known that from the first moment he met her, but it still managed to surprise him when she dragged the fact in front of his eyes.

"Saw them checking into a place this afternoon. Bet they've been going at it all day."

Of course, Jayne would always take it to the next level. If Mal was to think about people having sex, he sure didn't want it to be about his first mate and pilot.

"Can we not talk about other people's sex lives?" he asked in the vain hope of instilling some manners in his people. "Especially when I'm not getting any," he couldn't help adding under his breath.

Unfortunately, Jayne heard him. "Hell Mal, you could fix that easy enough."

Mal sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why, you volunteering?" The instant he said it he knew it was the wrong thing.

Jayne smiled, the wide slow one that was all kinds of disturbing. "Thought you had some rule about sleeping with the crew," he shot back.

Simon tensed against his shoulders. Mal wondered what that meant. He lifted his hand to his eyes, wishing he'd been smart enough to keep his mouth shut. "Please. No more sex talk. It ain't appropriate in this company."

"I don't mind," River piped up.

Sometimes he thought that his crew conspired against him on a regular basis. Days like these he realized they just saved it up for special occasions. "That may be true, but the shepherd does mind. So pick a different gorram topic," he ordered.

The room fell silent except for the sizzle of dinner cooking. Mal reminded himself that guilt was not an emotion he indulged in. Simon stood and made his way to the kitchen, obviously intent on a whispered conversation with Kaylee. River shot Mal a look that he couldn't hope to interpret with a dictionary. He shrugged and slid on over to take up the game Simon had abandoned.

"You're awful tetchy tonight, ain't you," Jayne said.

Mal didn't even bother to look at him. The board had his attention, and it wasn't looking good. "I was just fine until you got here," he said as he perused his options.

Jayne sat forward, his boots thumping against the floor as he set them down. "Aw Mal, why you gotta be like that? I ain't done nothing."

Mal picked up a white stone, turned it between his fingers as he thought. "Not today, you ain't."

"When are you going to let up on that," Jayne whispered into his ear. "I done wrong, I figured that out."

River looked up then. She stared straight at Jayne and smiled. Mal could feel the breath hiss out of Jayne's lungs.

"I'll just help with setting the table," Jayne said quickly and lurched to his feet.

Mal looked up at River. She smiled at him. "Still your turn."

He set the stone down, finally satisfied with the stalemate he had forced. "Now why do I get the feeling you know more than you let on?"

She cocked her head at the board, then bobbed it the other way. It was one of her oddest mannerisms, one that made him feel like a butterfly under a pin when she used it on him. But apparently it helped her somehow because she picked up a black stone and proceeded to decimate his men.

"Huh," he said.

River looked up, her dark eyes serious as they met his own. "You think you know all the plays, but you don't even see all of the pieces."

The hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up. He opened his mouth, but for the life of him he couldn't think of a thing to say.


End file.
